I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to security systems, and more particularly, to systems and methods of providing centralized monitoring of security guard tours.
II. Background of the Invention
It is well know and quite common for commercial and industrial premises to be protected by security companies providing on-site security guards as a service. A security company typically employs guards, which are assigned to patrol the premises of customers of the security company. To ensure that the premises are protected, each guard is responsible for thoroughly and regularly patrolling all or part of the premises. The security company will specify a “tour” that must be completed by a particular guard at predetermined intervals. A tour consists of a number of checkpoints located along a predefined route. While completing a tour, a guard inspects the customer's property, checking the security of doors and windows, and looking for intruders or other unauthorized activity. In addition, guards take note of situations that may tangentially affect security, including maintenance problems such as lighting fixture failures. To verify completion of each tour, a guard may be required to record the status of the premises at each checkpoint.
The tour record can be created manually, such as by writing entries into a log book, which is subsequently submitted to the security company. However, if a portion of the tour was not completed, or a non-emergency situation was logged, the security company would not be notified in a timely manner. For instance, if a theft went undetected during a guard's shift, the security company would have to review the log to determine whether the guard failed to detect the theft because one or more checkpoints were omitted from that guard's tour. Electronic tour tracking systems address this problem by automating the process of logging the tour. An electronic tour tracking system (ETTS) includes a means for electronically recording checkpoint conditions, and a means for uploading the information to a centralized monitoring center (CMC). The CMC may be located on or off the customer premises. With an exemplary ETTS, a guard touches a wand to a button fixed at each checkpoint, thereby creating an electronic record of the date and time that the checkpoint was toured. The record is stored in the wand until the guard uses a docking station to upload the data to the CMC. At a minimum, uploads preferably occur at the end of each tour.
If the guard encounters any condition or event that should be brought to the attention of the security company and/or customer, the guard may be able to enter additional information into the wand. The additional information is entered using a keypad, or a portable set of buttons to which the guard can touch the wand. Each of the portable set of buttons corresponds to a different condition or event, such as “broken lock” or “theft detected.” When the wand is uploaded, an exception is generated, which may appear as an icon alarm or other alert mechanism at the CMC.
An exception indicates to a CMC operator that a condition exists that must be rectified, for instance, by dispatching maintenance or security personnel by notifying emergency agencies or utility companies, or by notifying the customer. The condition is best rectified by selecting the most cost-effective and least disruptive option for determining the cause of the exception, and for notifying the appropriate responder. In other words, if the exception can be cleared by contacting the guard on duty to verify that a problem actually exists, the customer will appreciate that the problem is resolved without the customer's intervention. However, the exception may require the customer or operator at the CMC to personally reset an alarm. CMC operators typically simultaneously monitor more than one customer site in more than one geographic location—potentially all of the customers served by the security company. It is therefore difficult for operators to quickly determine the optimum protocol for addressing each exception that occurs, and to access the telephone numbers, work schedules, and names of guards, customers, local law enforcement, and supervisory staff that should respond to the exception. It is also possible for an exception to go unresolved, remaining in a pending state indefinitely if the operator fails to notice the alert.
Thus, although an ETTS can improve communication of conditions reported by the guard to the CMC and to the customer, the responsiveness and service quality of the security company can be impaired if the CMC personnel cannot properly respond to exceptions generated by the ETTS.
Therefore, there is an unresolved need for an ETTS that ensures that an exception is addressed by contacting the most appropriate responder for the situation.